A Sweet Savour

It is 8.10am and I am sat up in bed with a cup of tea, having woken with a thick throat which usually herald's an on-coming cold, but I am happily musing on what I have been reading over the past day or two.

To know Christ, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death (Phil.3:10). Paul could say these things, for this was part of his life experience, he was writing these words from the confinement of a prison cell. He knew what it was to be 'the Lord's prisoner': confined according to the will of God, that he may receive a revelation from Him. He was set apart, confined yet free, to receive the knowledge from God, that he would, as the Apostle to the Gentiles, be required to make known.

Access to visitors, manuscripts and writing materials were made available to to him, and he was free, mentally and physically to be able to listen to that still small voice with singleness of mind and heart. How rich and abundant was God's blessing to this man during this time of confinement. He was truly blessed with every spiritual blessing as he waited on his Lord.

May God's perfect will be done in both you and I, as we too wait on Him. May our present circumstance be elevated to one which brings glory and hoour to our Lord and Saviour, that His Name be praised in the hearts and minds of those with whom we are brought into contact.

May we be a sweet savour of His grace, an offering to God, which brings Him joy.

'Now thanks be unto God,
which always causeth us to triumph in Christ,
and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge
by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ,
- in them that are saved,
- and in them that perish: '
To the one we are the savour of death unto death;
and to the other the savour of life unto life.
And who is sufficient for these things?
(2 Cor. 2:14-16)

'And walk in love,
as Christ also hath loved us,
and hath given Himself for us
an offering and a sacrifice to God
for a sweetsmelling savour.'
(Eph. 5:2)

My thoughts:
Paul had a massive spiritual experience in his conversion.
That sort of experience was never denied by Paul. It always clear to him that everything is good and with reason when it comes to Jesus and God.
He knew that as long as his heart was on Jesus and God all will be okay even unto one's own bodily death.
Paul knew that any suffering was a means to a deeper truth and revelation, his own conversion is a testimony to that.

We all have our own reasons to be grateful for Jesus and God. It is in being grateful that overcomes any suffering.
Let us never forget out gratitude.